There is no proving patch on the planet like the transpacific. Distances are immense; travel times seemingly interminable. It’s here, over the far reaches of an endless sea that pretenders perish—and first-rate airlines soar.

In that rarified airspace, a couple of carriers have shone for years: Singapore and Cathay Pacific. They’ve become synonymous with subtle, superior service. Now, add to the roster a third airline: Korean Air.

It’s emergence has been stealthy, perhaps because of its past. Plagued with operational problems—and crashes—in the 1980s and 1990s, KE has morphed into one of the safest, most operationally sound airlines anywhere. Evidence? Boeing and Airbus say Korean’s 747-400s, 777s and A330s were tops in the world in terms of on-time operations. Maintenance has got to be meticulous to make that happen. 

Indeed, in 2005 Air Transport World, considered the chronicle of the airline industry, bestowed upon Korean Air its prestigious Phoenix award. It’s one of the clearest, most objective signs yet as to how far Korean has come. The publication reports that the complaint level at the carrier plummeted from 2.09 per 10,000 passengers to just 0.89 in 2005.

SkyTeam partner Delta helped Korean polish the operational side of the airline—basic blocking and tackling. But, while essential, such is not the stuff of sales brochures. Service is—and that means, at the bottom of it all, seats.

Nowhere is the battle for the souls of flyers hotter than in the premium seating arena. It’s up front that transcontinental airlines make their profit. To that end, Korean Air is spending almost $10 million to upgrade its premium product, including fitting its intercontinental 747-400 and 777 fleets with new cocoon-style First and Business Class (Prestige Plus) seating.

“The number one thing customers told us,” Jackson says, “is they want a comfortable seat.” KE’s new First Class product is a 180-degree lie-flat affair, fitted with privacy partitions. Audio Video On Demand (AVOD) serves up 50 movie channels and 60 CDs. The Business Class assemblies recline 170 degrees, a marked improvement over the old seats, which dipped just 138 degrees.

The China Card

Degrees of latitude play an important part in Korean Air’s push to gain a greater share of the North American business market. The carrier’s prime hub is Incheon International Airport, which serves Seoul, 31 miles to the east. ICN is perfectly positioned to connect frequent flyers to a slew Chinese cities—especially those in the increasingly prosperous northeastern part of the country. There’s service to Shenyang and Yanji, as well as Tianjin, Yantai, Weihai, Jinan, and Quingdao. Further south, and west, Xi’an, Wuhan, Xiamen, and Shenzhen appear on Korean’s route map. It is in such places, just as fully as Beijing and Shanghai, that the daily business of China is conducted. 

It’s no stretch to say Korean Air offers one of the most robust route structures anywhere. “China is really the focus for us on the transpacific right now,” Jackson says. Now that a new liberalized aviation pact is in place between the two countries, he sees KE flying to between 40 and 50 Chinese cities within the next few years. And he hopes those flights carry their share of North American frequent flyers.

While Korean Air has always been strong between the United Sates and Seoul, it hasn’t connected a lot of those folks onward, to the rest of its route system.

That, Jackson asserts, “is beginning to change.”

Before the change quickens to the pace KE would prefer, the carrier has to further slough off its image as a low-cost carrier dedicated to the ethnic Korean market. Not that Korean shuns such flyers. “[They] fill up the back of the plane, which is great,” Jackson says. But it also imparts an image that is at odds with what Cathay and Singapore project—upscale, ultrasuede.

That’s what makes Korean Air’s Premium Class initiative so important. New seats, new uniforms, cutting-edge cuisine—Korean is devoting a decided effort to make them coalesce. “For us, it’s all about trial,” the carrier’s American marketing chief says. Once people fly Korean long-haul, anecdotal evidence does indicate they’re sold on the service. One recent flyer says, “This is like air travel used to be 20 years ago.” Further evidence? Time’s Reader’s Travel Choice Awards found Korean’s First and Business Class products best in the business.

Korean Air has always enjoyed the benefit of location. Seoul is one of the first cities you come to in the up-and-over flight from North America. Now, it has the operational muscle, and the service, to go along with that location. Korean Air may still be flying under the perceptual radar screens of some flyers, but the betting is that’s not going to last for long.